Nostalgic? Replay FX has the classic, 1980 bad-graphic games. Beat your middle school high scores on games like Pac-Man, Tetris and Mario Bros. Bring back your skills from 4th grade with The Oregon Trail Challenge. Live out your NFL dreams on an Xbox 360.

This arcade and gaming extravaganza neglects nothing. Entire rooms of the festival are dedicated to tabletop games.

Take a trip through the Candyland forests or strategize over The Resistance.

Listen to seminars by pinball designers.

Dress your best to compete in the cosplay competition.

Hear some of your favorite theme songs reimagined through rock with Replay’s live music lineup.

We're revealing the top 10 nominees for this year's Best of Pittsburgh readers' poll. Below are finalists for Best Local Music Venue. Check back here on August 8 to see who takes the top three spots, and click here to get your tickets to this year's Best of Party before it sells out!

Thursday, July 26, 2018

We're revealing the top 10 nominees for this year's Best of Pittsburgh reader's poll. Below are finalists for Best Burger. Check back August 8 to see who takes the top three spots, and click here to get your tickets to this year's Best of Party before it sells out!

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

We're revealing the top 10 nominees for this year's Best of Pittsburgh readers' poll. Below are finalists for Best Dance Company. Check back on August 8 to see who took the top three spots, and click here to get your tickets to this year's Best of Party before it sells out!

Monday, July 2, 2018

BURGH. MURICA. EAGLE NOISES.

Pittsburghers are pretty patriotic. It was the Steel City that produced slabs of metal for tanks, planes, and boats during World War II. Patriotism is in our city's roots, too. Lewis and Clark's mission west started right here at the Point. So, it's no surprise that Pittsburghers go hard on the Fourth of July. This is our definitive guide on how to make your Fourth of July a little Pittsburgh extra.

1. Flags, flags, flags

No Fourth of July would be complete without representing the good ol' stars and stripes. You'll notice many Pittsburghers have flags up year-round, but July 4th is definitely the day to go full on with the Red, White and Blue decor.

How to make it Pittsburgh extra?

In true Pittsburgh fashion of making everything Black and Gold, there is also a football variant banner. After all, you're in Black and Gold country. And what's more American than throwing the pigskin around? I think it could be argued that rocking any Pittsburgh sports jersey is about as American as rocking a flag shirt.

3. Disposable cups and plates

On July 4th, we are not about that fine china life. Check your fancy table etiquette at the door. Just don't be an absolute pig—especially if you're at someone else's house. The last thing you need to worry about on July 4th is a bunch of messy dishes. Embrace the casual vibes.

How to make it Pittsburgh extra?

Yes, the red plastic cups are quintessentially American, but Pittsburgh's moving in a green direction. So, why not embrace this movement and opt for paper cups instead? It's 2018, and we have a lot more options than those dentist cups from the 1990s.

4. Pasta salad/potato salad

Bless the person that decided to call heaping portions of pasta and potato mixed with mayo a salad. Treat yourself this July 4th. We're not here to worry about carbs or calories. Embrace the excess afforded to you in this pretty awesome country and loosen that belt a notch!

5. Fireworks of questionable legality

It wouldn't be July 4th without a touch of danger. We all have that one relative (the one that gets a little too excited around matches and gasoline) that comes equipped with fireworks straight from Nowheresville, Ohio. Our national anthem does reference bombs bursting in air. We're just really committed to recreating that on our backyard patio.

How to make it Pittsburgh extra?

Ask any Pittsburgher who Zambelli is and it becomes clear that this city has an unnatural obsession with fireworks. Fireworks are already a Pittsburgh staple, so just let 'em rip. Enough said.

6. Cornhole

What game works best with a bunch of tipsy friends loading up on carbs? Cornhole is that Twilight Zone anomaly where being buzzed is an advantage. There's no sharp objects or rigorous physical activity involved, so it's friendly for young and old.

How to make it Pittsburgh extra?

Make sure you achieve that perfect, balanced throw with a can of I.C. Light in one hand. Is it even cornhole if you don't have a drink, anyway?

7. Twinkle Lights

Achieve that hipster, Instagram-worthy ａｅｓｔｈｅｔｉｃ by throwing up some lights in your backyard. It may be the easiest way to transform your patio into a TJ Maxx commercial. Be the envy of your neighborhood by lighting it up. The electric bill will suffer, but your social life won't. Bonus points for Red, White and Blue lights to show your country pride. #murica

How to make it Pittsburgh extra?

We rep that Black and Gold, so go for gold lights instead of the standard white. It'll call to mind our city colors and bathe your entourage in the glow of warm light.

8. Cookie Table

It wouldn't be a Pittsburgh party without a table dedicated to the cookie. Be extra and show your patriotism by throwing a little Red, White, and Blue into your sugar cookie mix. Elegantly place your confections on a platter, and now you're basically Martha Stewart 2.0.

How to make it Pittsburgh Extra?

Peanut butter blossoms have to make an appearance. Pizzelles are a welcome addition too.

9. Freeze pops

Freeze pops taste like the summers of childhood. I'm talking about the frozen sticks of corn syrup and dye placed in unusually heavy-duty plastic wrapping. (I can still feel the frustration of trying to rip one of these bad boys open.) Hand some out to the kiddies and have one for yourself. Cause you should ride that wave of nostalgia on July 4th. We are lucky to have grown up in a country that gave us pretty amazing childhood memories.

How to make it Pittsburgh extra?

There are some hardcore Otter Pop loyalists in this city, but you do you.

10. Water games

Would it be a July 4th in Pittsburgh if it wasn't ridiculously hot? If you're not near a pool, grab some water balloons and Super Soakers to cool everyone down. The kids will love it, but who says adults can take part in the fun either? It's 2018 and being young-at-heart is completely acceptable. Leave your office-space decorum at the door.

How to make it Pittsburgh extra?

Many Pittsburgh neighborhoods are close to woods, so use the landscape for natural cover. You'll feel just a little bit more like Jason Bourne. *cue Moby soundtrack*

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

The Run for the Roses has never been more fun!

Over 300 people joined the City Paper at the Drum Bar at Rivers Casino to celebrate that rare day when the Derby falls on Cinco De Derby. Guests were treated to fabulous drinks and eats, live bluegrass and mariachi, and, of course, the Derby!

On April 16, Brewer’s Bar in Lawrenceville added an event to their Facebook page called the “Fuhrer Festival.” The event was to be held on April 18 as part of Brewer's Bar’s Nightshift dance-night series, and was meant as a satirical take on the rise of white supremacy and dictatorships across the world, according to the event’s organizer. Adolf Hitler, known as the Fuhrer in Nazi Germany, was born April 20, 1889.

“A party fit for a Fuhrer’s birthday!” was written in the event’s description. “Join October and this week’s cast of Nightshift as we celebrate one special regime leader’s birthday (technically April 20th). Bring your small mustaches and significant other you want to do cyanide with as we throw a party for a Fuhrer!!"

Now, the organizer of the event, a bartender at Brewer’s, is apologizing. Sarah at Brewer’s Bar, who withheld her last name because she is in the process of getting divorced, says she is “incredibly sorry.”

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Turn up the heat on your party with these hot summer jams

Music can make or break a party, and there's nothing worse than a lifeless fiesta. Pittsburgh City Paper has your back this Cinco De Mayo with the hottest Latin hits of today and yesterday. Hey, we even took the time to compile them all in a neat Spotify playlist! You're welcome amigo.

BUT if you're more of a party attender rather than a party thrower, why not come to Pittsburgh City Paper's Cinco De Derby party at the Rivers Casino on May 5th, 2018? If you didn't catch it from the name, Cinco De Derby is the rare day when the worlds and cultures of Kentucky and Latin America come together. There will be entertainment, food, drink, and games! We guarantee it'll be a lively evening! 🔥🔥🔥

BONUS: Learn how you can make the perfect mint julep, courtesy of Margaret Sue Masters, “The Kentucky Hostess”

The 144th running of the Kentucky Derby is almost upon us. Saturday, May 5th, 29 horses will line up for a chance to win the race that's come to be known as the Run for the Roses. Let's get to better know the mint julep, the official drink of the Derby, shall we?